Upper Bench Winery & Creamery

Upper Bench Winery & Creamery is a boutique winery and artisan cheese producer located in Penticton, British Columbia, in the heart of the Okanagan Valley's Naramata Bench wine region. The business combines two complementary crafts under one roof: minimalist, terroir-driven winemaking led by Gavin Miller, and hand-crafted cheesemaking led by Shana Miller. The estate was purchased in 2011 by Gavin and Shana Miller in partnership with Wayne and Margareta Nystrom, and a state-of-the-art creamery was subsequently built on the property. On the wine side, Gavin Miller is known for a hands-off, minimalist approach that emphasizes vineyard and terroir expression. He is particularly recognized in the industry for his big Bordeaux-style reds and for a distinctive ability to showcase a wine's varietal character. His winemaking education began in the vineyards and cellars of the Okanagan, working for established wineries in and around Penticton and the Naramata Bench, notably producing award-winning wines for Poplar Grove and Painted Rock. The winery offers award-winning wines shipped directly to customers, and hosts tastings on a private patio space with deliberately chosen tasting options. On the cheese side, Shana Miller learned artisanal cheesemaking from Sandra Chalmers, the original cheesemaker at Poplar Grove. With the building of the creamery, Shana created her own line of Upper Bench cheeses, including Blue, Brie, and washed-rind varieties. The creamery handcrafts washed, bloomy, natural rind, lactic, and blue cheeses, purposefully crafted to pair with the estate's wines. The creamery team also creates one-of-a-kind cheeses shared exclusively with members of the Upper Bench Corks & Curds club. The brand's signature offering is the Corks & Curds club, which delivers wine and cheese to members' homes or offices. Members enjoy customizable quarterly shipments, flexible shipping options, preferred savings, first access to small-lot wines, exclusive offerings, complimentary tastings by appointment, and membership in the Upper Bench community. Members can choose a wine-only club or one of the wine-and-cheese pairing clubs. The winery also offers winery tastings and cheese tastings, including exclusive tasting experiences on its private patio. Upper Bench operates as a private, independently owned business. Its location on the Naramata Bench places it among the many wineries of the Okanagan Valley, a region that inspired Gavin Miller after his arrival in Canada from England in 1997. The combination of estate wine and estate cheese gives Upper Bench a distinctive identity within the Okanagan wine tourism landscape, where most wineries focus on wine alone. The brand's direct-to-consumer model, built around tastings, clubs, and shipping, reflects the broader Okanagan trend of wineries selling directly to visitors and club members rather than relying solely on retail and distribution channels.

Upper Bench Winery & Creamery was established in 2011 when Gavin and Shana Miller, in partnership with Wayne and Margareta Nystrom, purchased the Upper Bench property in Penticton, British Columbia. The purchase realized a long-held dream of the Millers to combine their respective passions for wine and cheese in one business. Following the acquisition, the partners built a state-of-the-art creamery on the property, allowing Shana Miller to produce her own line of Upper Bench cheeses. Gavin Miller's path to Upper Bench began when he arrived in Canada from England in 1997. Inspired by the burgeoning wine industry of the Okanagan Valley, he set out to learn how to grow grapes and make wine. His education started in the vineyards and moved into the cellar, working for many established wineries in and around Penticton and the Naramata Bench. He notably made award-winning wines for Poplar Grove and Painted Rock before taking the lead winemaking role at Upper Bench. He became known in the industry for his big Bordeaux-style reds and for a distinctive, hands-off, minimalist approach that showcases a wine's varietal character and expresses the vineyard and terroir. Shana Miller, a Nova Scotian, arrived in the Okanagan in 1995 from the Eastern Townships of Quebec, where she met and married Gavin. After a few years in the United Kingdom, the couple decided to make the Okanagan their home, and Shana found her passion in cheesemaking. She learned the art of artisanal cheesemaking from Sandra Chalmers, the original cheesemaker at Poplar Grove. With the purchase of Upper Bench and the construction of the creamery, Shana created her own line of cheeses, including Upper Bench Blue, Brie, and washed-rind varieties. Her creamery team has also focused on creating one-of-a-kind cheeses shared exclusively with members of the Upper Bench Corks & Curds club. Wayne Nystrom, one of the partners, graduated from the University of British Columbia with a degree in Chemical Engineering. His main business focus has been in the pulp and paper industry, and he brought strong business acumen to the Upper Bench partnership. Since its founding, Upper Bench has developed a dual identity as both a winery and a creamery, a combination that is unusual among Okanagan producers. The business sells award-winning wines directly to customers and operates a direct-to-consumer club, Corks & Curds, that ships wine and cheese to members' homes or offices. The club offers customizable quarterly shipments, flexible shipping options, preferred savings, first access to small-lot wines, exclusive offerings, and complimentary tastings by appointment. Members may choose a wine-only club or a wine-and-cheese pairing club. The winery also hosts tastings, including exclusive tasting experiences on its private patio, with deliberately chosen tasting options designed to help visitors find their favourite pairings. Upper Bench is located on the Naramata Bench, a well-known sub-region of the Okanagan Valley wine region in British Columbia. The area is home to numerous wineries and is a popular destination for wine tourism. Upper Bench's combination of estate wine and estate cheese, along with its club model and tasting experiences, positions it within the region's direct-to-consumer and wine-tourism economy. The brand remains privately owned and independently operated.

• 2011

  Gavin and Shana Miller, in partnership with Wayne and Margareta Nystrom, purchase Upper Bench and build a state-of-the-art creamery.

• 1997

  Gavin Miller arrives in Canada from England and begins learning grape growing and winemaking in the Okanagan Valley.

• 1995

  Shana Miller arrives in the Okanagan from the Eastern Townships of Quebec.

• Upper Bench launches the Corks & Curds wine and cheese club with customizable quarterly shipments.

A boutique Okanagan estate combining minimalist, award-winning winemaking with hand-crafted artisanal cheese, sold primarily through direct-to-consumer tastings, clubs, and shipping.

• Upper Bench Blue

• Upper Bench Brie

• Washed-rind cheeses

• Bloomy-rind cheeses

• Natural-rind cheeses

• Lactic cheeses

• Bordeaux-style red wines

• Small-lot wines

1. 1Upper Bench Winery and Creameryupperbench.ca
2. 2Our Story - Upper Bench Estate Wineryupperbench.ca
3. 3Upper Bench Winery & Creamery - Wikidatawikidata.org